For all you "texters" out there, who cannot be bothered to employ proper punctuation, and want to shorten every word to make it easier, just remember there's a VAST difference between helping your Uncle Jack off the horse and helping your uncle jack off the horse...

For all you nitpickers out there, Alex actually is posting an example of capitalization. It demonstrates, for those interested, how the use of capitalization can alter the meaning of a sentence. Punctuation, a critical component in clear communication, has much the same effect.

For those really interested enough in proper punctuation I would suggest reading Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. It is a light hearted look at proper punctuation and much more enjoyable than slogging through one of the many "style manuals"

Alex, your post was one sentence when it should have been broken into multiple. You also used capitalization to emphasize a word, vast, while attempting to explain the nuances of capitalization. There are other issues related to comma usage in your run on sentence that is ended by an ellipsis.

The human mind is capable of almost infinite subtlety and precision in composing thoughts. However, written language is a simpler code that strains to communicate that precision. Grammar, capitalization, punctuation and spelling greatly assist the process. Being too lazy to use the shift key or mentally edit your present thought just makes things harder for the reader.

Those who tend to be annoyed with textbook grammatical errors often forget that the written word was formed out of the need to convey a spoken language, not the reverse. If one doesn't possess the problem solving skills to decipher what was written by another person lacking the knowledge of traditional and formal rules of English, in my estimation the former is of no greater intellect than the latter, particularly if the matter at hand involves their uncle jacking off a horse.

I'm a slow learner,I didn't graduate from college until is was 47 years old. So to all of you whom I have offended over the years with bad spelling & piss poor punctuation , call the Marysville school board & complain to them about my lack of education. Its not my fault!!!!!

Inaccurate, Mr. Burmeister! It involved helping one's Uncle Jack off a horse. Or possibly helping one's uncle jack off a horse. I suppose it could also refer to helping one's Uncle jack off a horse, so you see how difficult it would be to get a grip on the situation...

Inaccurate, Mr. Burmeister! It involved helping one's Uncle Jack off a horse. Or possibly helping one's uncle jack off a horse. I suppose it could also refer to helping one's Uncle jack off a horse, so you see how difficult it would be to get a grip on the situation...

For all you "texters" out there, who cannot be bothered to employ proper punctuation, and want to shorten every word to make it easier, just remember there's a VAST difference between helping your Uncle Jack off the horse and helping your uncle jack off the horse...

Click to expand...

Like you, poor grammar bothers me way more than it should. It can be painful being us in this day and age.

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe

For all you "texters" out there, who cannot be bothered to employ proper punctuation, and want to shorten every word to make it easier, just remember there's a VAST difference between helping your Uncle Jack off the horse and helping your uncle jack off the horse...

Click to expand...

I would think that your uncle is perfectly capable of jacking himself off.
The horse.